Zapatista Corridos

Rachael Davidson

“Corridos spring from a long Mexican tradition of political and satirical music broadly diffused during the early 20th century Mexican revolution led by Emiliano Zapata. Corridos are the most revolutionary of musical styles within the contemporary Zapatista movement. This quintessential Mexican music is played at community festivals, on the ubiquitous Zapatista pirate radio stations, and within Mexican and international solidarity circles. A guitar or accordion provides the lead melody line accompanied by a bass and rhythm guitar joined with two to four part vocal harmonies. Mexican Corridos tell a story in the form of a song often celebrating key dates and individuals within the social movements. The passions of the 1994 insurrection sparked an explosion of songwriting in the corrido form that continues today ~ especially in autonomous Mayan communities.”